Mauricio Pochettino will ask Daniel Levy, the Tottenham Hotspur chairman, to make a new move for the Southampton forward Jay Rodriguez in the January transfer window.

That could open the door for Andros Townsend, the England international, to leave White Hart Lane, with Southampton still interested in the winger and West Ham United watching his situation carefully.

Pochettino made Rodriguez one of his primary targets after being made head coach at Spurs and wanted to sign him in the summer, despite the 25-year-old’s cruciate ligament injury. Southampton refused to sell the £15 million-rated Rodriguez or Morgan Schneiderlin to Tottenham in the summer window, but that will not stop Pochettino having another go to link up again with Rodriguez.Southampton have made an incredible start to the Premier League season without Rodriguez, who is aiming to return from injury in mid-November. Southampton have surged to second in the table without him and the fact that his contract will have 18 months to run in January may soften Southampton’s stance.

Tottenham were interested in signing Danny Welbeck on loan from Manchester United in August, but did not make a permanent bid because of Pochettino’s desire to try again for Rodriguez. In their opening nine Premier League games, Spurs have scored 11 goals – fewer than Crystal Palace, West Bromwich Albion and Hull City. Rodriguez scored 17 goals for Southampton last season before his injury.